Crystal Prince
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Angry over the use of Ywach's body to replace the king and grieving the loss of his close friend, Jushiro, Kyoraku Shunsui makes an unapproved visit to Muken with Urahara Kisuke. What begins as two drunk friends acting out together ends in an attempt to overthrow the king…yaoi, mpreg…Aizen/Ukitake, Shunsui/Kisuke, Byakuya/Tetsuya, Grimmjow/Ichigo, Hisagi/Renji
1. Muken's Secret Son

**Crystal Prince**

 **By Spunky0ne**

 **(Thanks to Dude4Anime1 for the inspiration to try a brand new pairing!)**

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 **Angry over the use of Ywach's body to replace the king and grieving the loss of his close friend, Jushiro, Kyoraku Shunsui makes an unapproved visit to Muken with Urahara Kisuke. What begins as two men drinking together ends in an attempt to overthrow the king…yaoi, mpreg…Aizen/Ukitake, Shunsui/Kisuke, Byakuya/Tetsuya, Grimmjow/Ichigo, Hisagi/Renji**

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 **Chapter 1: Muken's Secret Son**

Under a rosy sky, just as the sun was setting, Kuchiki Byakuya, Gotei 13 taicho and head of the Kuchiki household stood in formal dress in front of the full contingent of family elders, representatives of the other three great clans, heads of the Kuchiki subfamilies, and a throng of invited family and guests. He looked through placid grey eyes, out past the white canopy he stood beneath, beyond the deep sea of spectators, the white chairs and pillars decorated with small white and blue lights, a center aisle already coated with a layer of Senbonzakura' bladeless pink petals and more falling gently as the Kuchiki leader's fiancé was led forward by his adoptive mother, father and two sisters.

Kuchiki Tetsuya paused to let his parents and siblings offer him gentle kisses on his blushing cheeks, before moving to the beginning of the aisle.

Music began to play, and Tetsuya proceeded in slow, measured steps, a vision of loveliness in a sky blue formal kimono with feathery streaks of royal blue around his shoulders and along his slim back. Despite the nervous flutter that gripped his insides, he kept his eyes on his beloved cousin and kept his feet moving, until he met Byakuya at the head of the crowd, and the two walked up three steps to where the head elder of the Kuchiki clan waited. Kuchiki Nori smiled warmly, his aged face wrinkling with genuine happiness and he began to read the traditional blessings.

Near the front of the rows of guests, Kyoraku Shunsui turned slightly to speak quietly to the man next to him

"Jushiro would have loved to have seen this," he commented,his eyes softening nostalgically, "He knew almost as soon as Byakuya rescued that young man, that the two of them were meant to be. He said there was never anyone who could bring that boy out of his shell like Byakuya did, and no one could soothe Byakuya's fire like Tetsuya could."

"He's gentle, like Hisana was," Kisuke agreed, "but he has a strength that Hisana didn't. That's probably why Tetsuya is still alive, despite the horrors he faced as a kid in that prison."

"They are good for each other. I just wish that Jushiro could be here."

"Yeah," Kisuke agreed, "me too."

A short distance away, Renji nudged Hisagi and leaned over slightly to speak into his ear.

"That's beautiful, huh? Seeing Taicho so happy like that? Man, someday…"

Shuuhei smiled sadly, stealing a sideways glance at his red haired colleague.

"Right," he answered, "someday."

He felt an elbow in his ribs and leaned over to hear as Yumichika gave him a meaningful wink and Ikkaku whispered into his ear.

"Just tell him already, stupid! He isn't going to get it on his own, you know. As cool as Renji is, he's not that good at picking up on this kinda thing."

"Shut up!" Hisagi whispered back, "Just keep quiet about it. I'll do this my own way."

Ikkaku and Yumi glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.

" _Baka_ ," they mouthed together.

In the aisle behind the young men, Ichigo stood, dressed in a formal kimono, alongside his like-dressed father. He studied the people around him silently, then his eyes moved to look at Byakuya and Tetsuya's contented faces.

 _They look really happy. Tetsuya told me that it's not every noble son or daughter who gets to marry as they want to. Most nobles in the great houses are put in arranged marriages for political reasons. I know that taking my place, here in Soul Society was the right thing to do, but…_

 _I know it's selfish, but I wanted more._

He went back in his mind to the invasion of the royal realm, during the recent quincy war, his heart flickering warmly at seeing the blue haired former sexta Espada alive.

 _I didn't see Grimmjow after our battle in Las Noches. I didn't ask about him, because I was really afraid that I killed him. I didn't want him to be dead. I know he's a sarcastic, foul-mouthed wiseass, and he doesn't care for me, except to restore his honor by fighting me. Still…it felt good to see him alive._

 _I wonder where he is now…what he's up to. Hueco Mundo was almost completely destroyed by the quincies. Grimmjow, Nel and Harribel survived, but they went home to ruined buildings and sand. I'm sure they've rebuilt Las Noches by now. Maybe after the wedding, I should convince Kisuke to take me there and I can…I dunno…something…_

 _Anything's better than thinking about the fact that I'll probably get put in an arranged marriage soon. God, that's the last thing I want to think about._

He watched with sad, longing eyes as Byakuya and Tetsuya spoke their vows to each other, then exchanged rings.

 _I wish I could be that happy with whoever I marry. I know it's stupid, but…I want the kind of happiness that Mom and Dad had. Dad didn't find that here. I wonder if it's even possible for me to find it here._

 _Damn._

"Ladies and gentleman," Kuchiki Nori said, smiling warmly, "I introduce for the first time, Kuchikis Byakuya and Tetsuya, our leader and head clan wife of the Kuchiki family. Please, now exchange a kiss as the first gift of your new marriage."

Their kiss was chaste, as Ichigo knew was expected of the two, but he didn't miss the almost hidden look of promise that passed between the two.

 _Byakuya's chilled out a lot since I first met him. I wonder how being a dad will change him. I mean, he'll always be Byakuya, but there's something about having a family…_

 _I want that someday._

 _I just don't know who I want to do that with, or why I still have any hope that it's possible, when it seems like my choices are going to be pretty limited._

He managed a smile and he clapped with the other attendees as Byakuya slipped an arm around his slighter cousin, and the two walked past the guests and into another section of the gardens, where a huge feast awaited them.

The married couple stood in a long receiving line and welcomed each guest into the reception area, then proceeded to their table, setting off a round of toasts before the meal began. They wound their way through the sea of handsomely decorated tables, speaking again to each guest, as was expected. As they reached the last table, Byakuya's hand touched Tetsuya's, and he managed a few quiet words.

"Are you all right? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," Tetsuya assured him, "I'm just glad that with all of the talking, I didn't have to eat much. I'm still nauseous."

"We can sneak away for a few minutes for an infusion."

"No, really, I'll be all right until the consummation, Byakuya-sama…erm, Byakuya," Tetsuya insisted.

"I don't know why they are even having us do a formal consummation, since the elders insisted on us proving your fertility by getting pregnant before the wedding," Byakuya complained.

"I'll be okay," Tetsuya said reassuringly, "Just remember how happy it made us feel when we learned that our effort was successful. After today, the elders can't meddle with us anymore. They'll find others to meddle with instead and leave us alone, except to scold you from time to time about your choices."

"Yes, that," Byakuya sighed, squeezing his hand and kissing him on the cheek, "You stay close to me, and let me know if you begin to feel sick or dizzy."

"I will," Tetsuya promised.

At one of the guest tables, Shunsui raised a glass and smiled at the others who populated the table.

"To my good late friend, Jushiro," he said, slightly slurring the words, "the most truest noble of nobles, and an inspiration."

"I think we can all agree to that," Kisuke said, raising his glass along with the others at the table.

"Is he all right?" Yoruichi asked, studying the inebriated captain commander, "He usually handles his booze with more, I don't know, without getting like this."

"Don't worry," Kisuke whispered under his breath, "I replaced his bottle with one that doesn't have any alcohol. He'll have a hangover, but at least he won't get anymore drunk tonight."

"Good."

"I'll walk him home after," Kisuke promised, "I have a whole bunch of hangover cure. He'll be fine."

"I've been worried about him since Jushiro passed," the purple haired lady admitted, "Kukaku has been too. He seems okay on the surface, except for getting more drunk than usual, but I think there's a lot he's not letting out. It's building up to something. He and Jushiro were so close, like brothers. Nanao says she can't get him to open up at all. We were thinking that maybe he needs a man to kind of step in and be a friend."

Kisuke gave her an amused look.

"You want me to do male bonding with the captain commander?" he chuckled, "Now, you know that's not going to go over well with the powers that be. They know I've saved Soul Society more than once, but it took them forever to reinstate me. It's gonna look like I'm taking advantage."

"What? No way," Yoruichi insisted.

She paused to consider, then smiled ruefully.

"Although, this is the elders we are talking about. Maybe you're right."

She gave Shunsui a regretful look as he rested his chin on the palm of his hand and went silent, watching Byakuya and Tetsuya as the two began a slow dance.

"Still, elders or no elders, he needs someone. I think you might just be that someone. You're smart and funny, and you can drink him under the table. What more could a noble boy ask for, right?" she teased, "C'mon, help us out, here."

"I already said I'd make sure he got some cure, and that he got home safe. What do you want me to do beyond that? Cuddle up with him like a stuffed toy."

Yoruichi's head tilted and a twinkle came into her eye.

"Oh…no!" Kisuke laughed, "No, no, no. Not going there."

"He is cute!" Yoruichi purred.

"Stop it!" Kisuke laughed, throwing a crumpled up napkin at her

"He's from a good family," the cat-woman snickered.

"Quit it, will you?"

"Okay, okay," Yoruichi giggled, "Anyway, I don't think the Seireitei is ready for the two of you. We just got through cleaning up after the quincy war."

"Don't remind me," Kisuke sighed, shaking his head, "It took months to clean up, and confining all of those dangerous criminals while Muken was rebuilt? A nightmare! Do you know how hard it was to keep Aizen under wraps?"

Yoruichi's smile faded slightly, and she leaned closer and lowered her voice.

"You know, I heard a rumor that you were involved in trying to get his sentence altered. Was that true?"

"What? Where'd you hear that?" Kisuke demanded.

Yoruichi shrugged.

"I'm still close to Soi Fon, and she runs the _Onmitsukido_ , you know."

"That's not supposed to get around!" Kisuke warned her, "That was a condition that the sages and I agreed on before I made my argument. And I only made the argument, because I sensed that the power in the hogyoku is beginning to drain away."

"What?" Yoruichi gasped softly, covering her mouth for a moment, "I thought you said that…"

"It's not supposed to happen," Kisuke explained, "But Aizen came into contact with the ooze that came out of Mimihagi, another transcendent."

"You mean, the god that was inside Juushiro?" the cat-woman asked, frowning curiously.

"That's right," Kisuke affirmed, "Aizen didn't think anything of it, at first, but when he was put back into Muken, he felt the hogyoku beginning to weaken. He confided that in me, and I told him I would try to figure the situation out."

"Not that you owe anything to that man, especially immortality," Yoruichi said dryly.

"Yeah, well, he says he's not so fond of immortality."

"Huh?"

"Don't look so surprised," the shopkeeper said, shaking his head, "After all, we're not meant to last forever. We're meant to remain in the cycle. There's no surer way to see that than to experience watching the world change around you, while you can only stand still."

"Well, you and I know that, but it sounds a little too…not Aizen, if you know what I mean…"

"I know, but if you think about it, who really knows what he's thinking anyway? The man is so caught up in illusion that I wonder if he knows who he really is."

"It must be the drinks," Yoruichi commented, "You're starting to sound way too sympathetic."

"Well, I know what shits the sages can be," Kisuke sighed, "And to let him sacrifice the hogyoku for us, so that we can live, then to dump him back in Muken, seems like a pretty big screw you for a guy who helped save everyone when he didn't have to. I'm not the guy's cheerleader, but the situation doesn't sit right with me."

"Yeah, I hear you. Just…I know your heart's in the right place, but be careful, okay? Don't get yourself in any more trouble. You were banished for over a hundred years for your last great escapade. Who knows what they'd do to you now."

"Probably nothing good," Kisuke chuckled, "I'll be careful."

"You do that."

The festivities lasted until well into the night, before the last of the revelers passed through the entrance gates of Kuchiki Manor, and into the darkened streets of the Seireitei. Kisuke remained close to the inebriated captain commander, and helped him to his feet when it was time to go.

"I've got you," he laughed softly, wrapping an arm around Shunsui and holding him on his feet.

"Kay," Shunsui mumbled, "Thanks."

"It's no problem," Kisuke assured him, leading him towards the first division, "It was quite a night, huh?"

"Mmmhmm…"

"Byakuya may be a little stuffy, but he knows how to throw a good party," Kisuke went on, "The food and music were amazing."

"Mmmmm…"

 _It's good this isn't a long walk_ , Kisuke mused inwardly, _He's pretty out of it._

"W-wait," Shunsui said as they reached the first division and started to go inside, "Wanna say g'night."

"Uh…" Kisuke said uncertainly.

"Shhhhhh," Shunsui snickered, putting a finger to Kisuke's lips, "C'mere."

"What? What're you doing? No funny stuff, now."

"No, you'll like this," Shunsui laughed dazedly, "I mean, it's like out of a fairy tale."

"What're you talking about?" Kisuke asked apprehensively.

"I told you, c'mere," the captain commander insisted, leading him into the large office, then into his private quarters.

"Now, you're not pulling a fast one on me to seduce me, right?" Kisuke laughed, "As cute as you are…"

Kisuke's breath caught as he was suddenly turned and pushed up against the wall, and Shunsui's mouth engaged his in a stunning, but extremely alcohol flavored kiss.

"Mmph, stop it, okay?" Kisuke complained, "Yoruichi's probably watching."

"Shhhh!" Shunsui warned him, "Completely private. Completely secret. You can't tell a S-soul! Not even N-nano…No no."

"Nanao?"

"Don't tell _anyone_!"

"All right, I promise not to tell anyone," Kisuke chuckled, wiping his mouth and tugging himself free, "show me."

Shunsui nodded and led him to the back wall of the room, then he paused and barely managed an uttered command. At his word, the wall shimmered, and Shunsui led the surprised shopkeeper through, and into a private corridor that ran within the walls of the prison.

"Only the captain commander can give permission to use this way," he explained, "so no prisoners can use it unless I will it…n-no way to tamper with me either. The corridor senses if I am compromised. C'mon."

He led Kisuke down to the lowest level.

"What? Are we visiting Sosuke?" Kisuke asked, "We might not wanna do that, while we're drunk."

"N-nope!" Shunsui said emphatically, leading Kisuke past Aizen's cell door.

They moved several doors down, then Shunsui stopped in front of another cell door. He touched the door handle and the lock released, then he led Kisuke into the room and closed the door.

The shopkeeper entered the room, then instantly froze, staring in surprise and dismay at the brightly lit crystal chamber that sat in the center of the cell, and the eerily lit white haired man who laid, unmoving, within it.

"Is that…?"

"Shhh," Shunsui hissed softly, moving closer to whisper into the shocked shopkeeper's ear, "Th-they didn't know if he could be saved, so they froze'im an told everyone he was burned and the ashes scattered. It's a lie. S-see, he's the…"

Shunsui stopped and began to sway, then he collapsed into Kisuke's arms. Kisuke stared raptly at the imprisoned taicho, unable to believe his eyes.

"Jushiro, what the hell are they doing to you?"


	2. Embrace the Lies

**Chapter 2: Embrace the Lies**

"Shunsui," Kisuke called softly, patting the captain commander's pale face.

Shunsui groaned, mumbling incoherently and Kisuke lowered him to the floor and moved closer to the glowing crystal housing that held Juushiro in some odd kind of suspension. The shopkeeper's head tilted and a deep curiosity lit his eyes, erasing all signs of joviality. He found a control panel on the front of the unit and cautiously examined the buttons and settings.

"Frozen," he murmured, squinting.

 _Interesting._

He picked up a file from the desk beside the unit and paused to peruse the information.

 _They were able to preserve him, but by the time the procedure was finished, the god, Mimihagi, had completely devoured his damaged lungs. With the Seireitei shot to hell and the war still going on, there was no way to keep him alive. Replacing limbs is easy, but internal organs are tough to heal and near impossible to replace completely. Healers need a bit of the original tissue to work from, and Mimhagi devoured every last bit. Even Orihime probably couldn't have saved him, at that point, because of the chaotic reiatsu used in the devouring process._

 _Damn…_

He turned to the next page in the file, frowning as he continued to read.

 _We completed the freezing process, but we were surprised to find that the cells of Ukitake taicho's lungs continued to disappear, until every last cell was consumed. Oddly, not a single other cell of his body was claimed, so after that, we were able to preserve him until such time as we have the capacity to replace his missing lungs._

The shopkeeper shook his head.

"Good luck with that, guys."

He moved on to the next paragraph, but blinked in surprise and loosed a soft exclamation at the contents.

 _We were, of course, at a loss at how we might ever be able to restore his lungs, but then something unprecedented began to happen._

Kisuke read and reread the information, not daring to believe the words. Then, he looked more closely at the area over the frozen taicho's heart. His breath caught at the sight of the very thin, almost invisible line of dark, frighteningly familiar reiatsu that flowed into the area. Still unable to believe, he began to follow the trail, walking back across the room and out into the hidden corridor. The reiatsu led him along to the next cell, where he stopped and stared, his mind whirling.

"Aizen," he breathed, "So, you're mixed up in this?"

Swallowing hard, the shopkeeper headed back into the hidden chamber, where he found Shunsui on his knees, rubbing his temples and looking around.

"Ah, there you are," the still inebriated captain commander, "I was worried that some of the freaky criminals down here had gotten in and grabbed you."

"Naw," Kisuke assured him, "I'm fine, but um, Shunsui, c'mere, I wanna show you something."

"Eh, huh?"

"C'mon," he said, helping his friend to his feet.

Shunsui grunted and made a sad little sigh as they approached the frozen taicho and Kisuke squeezed his hand sympathetically.

"Sorry, I know that this is tough for you, but it's really important. Look closely here."

Shunsui frowned and squinted, his eyes clearing as the strangeness of the dark reiatsu reached him.

"I wasn't informed about this," the captain commander said, looking more closely and following the path of the reiatsu with his eyes, "It leads out of the chamber."

"Yeah," Kisuke said softly, "I followed it. Come see where it goes."

He led his comrade out of the room and to the next cell, where the reiatsu seemed to have its source.

"Aizen," Shunsui growled, his eyes narrowing, "What the hell is he doing to Juushiro?"

"That's what I was wondering," Kisuke said, nodding at the door, "You wanna go in with me? I can't open the door, but you can."

Shunsui's scowl deepened and he touched the locking mechanism with his reiatsu. A sharp click sounded, and the captain commander slowly opened the door. The two crept into the dark cell, still following the odd reiatsu. They reached the place where Aizen sat, wrapped tightly in reiatsu suppressing bonds.

"It's coming out of _him_!" Shunsui hissed, charging forward, but sliding to a stop a safe distance away from the bound prisoner, "Aizen! I know you can hear me. What are you doing to Juushiro?"

There was a momentary pause, then Aizen's smooth voice sounded in the chamber.

"I think that if you look more closely," he suggested calmly, "you will find that the power you have followed is not emanating from me, but from the hogyoku."

"The hogyoku!" Kisuke repeated, stepping forward, only to be stopped by Shunsui's hand that gripped his sleeve.

"Don't get too close!" the captain commander warned him, "Even in those bindings, he's still dangerous."

"Don't worry," Kisuke answered, glaring meaningfully at the prisoner, "I know exactly how dangerous Sousuke is. I won't give him an inch."

"You make is sound as though I need one," Aizen said dulcetly, "I can tell you with absolute certainty that, not only do you not need to fear coming closer to me, soon, you will not just come closer, you will realize that I am not the one who should be locked up in this cell."

"Stop talking gibberish," Shunsui sighed, brushing him off, "No one would think for a moment that you belong anywhere but in this cell."

"What he said," Kisuke added dismissively, "But, I am curious what the hogyoku is doing filling Juushiro with its reiatsu. Something shady's going on, and I think you have an idea what it is. Now, are you gonna tell me about it willingly, or am I going to have to get unpleasant with you?"

"So brutal," Aizen mused, smirking under the bonds, "Has the war hardened your heart so much that you begin to resemble that warmongering taicho of the eleventh, Kisuke?"

"I only use brutal methods when it's called for," Kisuke answered darkly, "Though, if there's anyone who deserves that, it's you."

"I don't understand this anger you harbor towards me. Isn't it true that you also knew the lie that the king was? And now, he is even more of one, isn't he? Kyoraku Sotaicho, don't you think that your dear, dead friend would have something to say about that?"

"Don't you talk about Juushiro to me," Shunsui growled, "You don't deserve to speak his name."

"Come now, let's not argue. After all, we are on the same side, or we will be so soon. I would suggest we have a drink together, but from the feel of your reiatsu, I would say that the two of you have started without me."

"Like I'd waste a bottle of even cheap liquor on a demon like you," Shunsui shot back, "Don't get your hopes up."

"It would hardly be presumptuous of me to do so," Aizen chuckled, "Are you telling me that you don't think it's significant that the hogyoku is acting strangely, that it has chosen to fixate on Ukitake taicho and me, and that it is radiating powerfully within the connection between us? Think carefully about how the hogyoku was created, Urahara Kisuke. Wouldn't you say that the connection between that man and me is oddly vibrant?"

"So what if it is?" Kisuke scoffed," That doesn't put us on the same side. Never will."

"Maybe not," Aizen agreed, "but aren't you at least curious?"

"Do you think I'd be here if I wasn't?" Kisuke answered in a guarded tone, "But curiosity isn't enough to make me lower my guard with you."

"Well, whether you lower you guard or not, I'm sure you at least want to study what is happening with the hogyoku. And as we have a common interest in understanding this phenomenon, I will agree not to attack you if you come close to me."

"Isn't that nice of you?" Kisuke snorted.

"I am sure that you have some means of protecting yourself from anything I might try."

"You seem to be in an awful hurry to have Kisuke get in closer to you," Shunsui observed, "Why is that? What are you up to?"

Aizen sighed.

"You know the hogyoku is weakening, and I think that it's reaching out."

The other two men exchanged glances.

"It's what?" Kisuke asked, a skeptical edge to his voice.

"I think you heard me," Aizen replied quietly, "I have sought to ask how and why this is happening. As you know, the hogyoku usually reflects and brings to life the deepest desires of the ones around it…although it is limited to what is possible."

"And you don't think that it's doing just that now?" Kisuke asked, "So, if not, then why don't you tell me what you think the orb _is_ doing?"

"As I said," Aizen repeated, and the shopkeeper could feel the prisoner's brown eyes burning, even through the heavy bonds, "it _usually_ responds to and brings to life the desires of the ones around it. But the hogyoku is still a sentient being, and when it was struck by Mimhagi's power and began to weaken, for the first time, its mission, its cause for being, was threatened. Moment by moment, as its power began to leak away, the hogyoku, like any other sentient, living thing, came face to face with its unexpected mortality…and in doing so, I believe that it developed its own desire to continue."

"That's impossible," Shunsui objected.

He glanced at Kisuke for affirmation, but found the shopkeeper was staring at the bound prisoner with a haunted look in his eyes.

"I see you understand," Aizen said smoothly, "Where the hogyoku was single minded about its mission before, that mission could not be completed if the orb, itself was to perish, so the hogyoku's desire to live grew strong…so very strong that it found a possible way to make that happen."

"You don't have any idea if that nonsense you're spouting is true," Shunsui scoffed.

"If you think that I'm wrong, why don't you conduct a little bit of research," Aizen suggested, "I would only suggest that you work quickly and quietly since as soon as the noble lords get wind of what may be happening here, they will be highly motivated to try to stop it."

Kisuke laughed softly.

"And why does that bother you so much?" he asked, "Not too eager to die?"

"It isn't dying that alarms me," Aizen reasoned, "It is the same thing that irked me before. It is the lies and conceit of the noble leaders, thinking that they are worthy of telling the rest of the world what to do. As long as they impede the true king, then all we are going to rest on are lies."

"You should be right at home, then," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "What does a bastard like you know about truth?"

It was Aizen's turn to laugh.

"Truth?" he repeated, "Probably nothing, but I do know about possibility, and you do too. You and I speak that language fluently, and I think you are as curious about what is happening as I am."

"Is that right?"

"Yes. I am willing to stake my life on it, as a matter of fact."

"Should I be flattered?" the shopkeeper asked, "I'm really not."

"But you are curious," Aizen concluded, "Think about it some more. Just remember that the clock is ticking. What is happening between Juushiro and me is an anomaly that they haven't come to fully understand yet. But it's only a matter of time. As soon as they make the connection, they will put an end to the dying orb, and to me…and…you will have chosen, with your inaction to embrace the lies wholeheartedly."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Shunsui chided him, "The liar here is you. You will say anything. You will do anything. You will do whatever it takes to save your miserable life, now that the hogyoku isn't giving you immortality. Maybe it's abandoning you to give immortality to Juushiro instead. And I can't think of a more deserving soul than him."

"Is that right?" Aizen mused, "You think that avoiding death is some kind of prize. While I admit, there is some momentary charm in stepping off of the ride and watching as the others come and go. But…without the threat of death, one will never evolve. And evolution is at the heart of who we are."

"Heart, huh?" Kisuke said in a voice edged with sarcasm, "You should go on about things you couldn't possibly understand."

"I understand this," Aizen said sternly, "Fate is upon us all. It hangs over us, waiting to fall onto us, and to shatter us and scatter the pieces. Will we stand by and do nothing, or will we grab fate in our hands?"

"Like you did when you betrayed everyone and tried to kill the king?" Shunsui asked, scowling.

The two drunk men stared as Aizen's amused laughter filled the chamber. Then, he drew a long breath and gave a shuddering sigh.

"Tried to kill _the king_? Isn't that a funny thing to say about the last enemy we imprisoned and stuck on the throne. There hasn't been a true king in a thousand years, and both of you know it."

"If you think we'll reconsider you for the job, you can forget it," Shunsui said with finality.

"Oh, I had my chance to prove myself worthy of that place and I failed. Then, I reflected on the past, and I set a new course. It's interesting to see that this is where it has led. I have reclaimed my mortality and the hogyoku has learned to fear dying. It has evolved, and now it is poised to change everything."

Aizen took a longer, deeper breath and continued.

"Kyoraku soutaicho, do you want me to tell you how the hogyoku was made?"

"Sousuke!" Kisuke snapped, prompting another laugh from the imprisoned man and making Shunsui focus on the angry shopkeeper.

 _No, wait, that isn't just anger I see._

 _It is fear._

 _What could make Urahara Kisuke look that way?_

 _What?_

"Oh," Aizen purred, "he is so curious now. What will you do, my old nemesis?"

"Shut up," Kisuke warned him.

"Not all of the ingredients are as they were written in Kisuke's notes."

A blistering flash step sounded and Shunsui made a sound of surprise as he spotted the former taicho at Aizen's throat and holding his unsheathed zanpakuto.

"One more word," Kisuke growled, his eyes narrowed and uncharacteristically deadly, "and you'll die right now. I know I could do it, so don't push me."

"Is that what you really want?" Aizen asked, "Have you changed so much that you now find comfort in the truth remaining hidden?"

"What is he talking about?" Shunsui asked in a low, serious tone, "What is it about the hogyoku that you two know and everyone else doesn't?"

"Would you like me to tell him?" Aizen chuckled, "or should I just let you do the honors."

"We're not leaving until you tell me the truth," the captain commander demanded, "What did you secretly use to create the hogyoku?"

Kisuke gave Aizen a deadly glare, then he let out a ragged sigh.

What no one knows is the I included in the making of the hogyoku…a shard from the shattered _king's prism_."


End file.
